Below is a varnish recipe (and my own variation thereof) that
is an old traditional Italian recipe. I have found it to be
an excellent varnish for new instruments - it dries fairly fast,
is transparent and durable (not too hard or soft). Certainly
not a hard brittle varnish, but I prefer the varnish to have
a more 'natural' feel, as most of the older Italian violins
have.

The materials to make it are available from us (on this web
site), and the preparation instructions below are fairly easy
to follow; the process takes about 1-2 weeks and only about
an hour of time (once you have the equipment and supplies).
In the future I hope to include photographs of my very basic
setup that I use to make this varnish.

1704 Violin Varnish Recipe

The recipe below is a well known varnish recipe. It makes a
beautiful golden spirit varnish which is especially good for
touch up, as well as for new instruments.

45 g Seedlac

7.5 grams gum elemi (optional)

200 ml Alcohol

9 ml. Lavender Oil Spike

Place all of the ingredients in a glass jar and let it dissolve,
stirring at least twice a day, until the lac no longer sits
and sticks to the bottom of the jar (This may take from one
to three weeks).

When completely dissolved, boil in a double boiler for seven
minutes, let cool, and then boil again for seven minutes. While
still warm, filter through a cloth (I use a cheese cloth). If
it is allowed to cool it will be difficult to filter. Repeat
the filtering process until there is no more dirt in the filter.
Once this process is complete, and the varnish has cooled, it
is ready to use. Since alcohol is lost in the cooking process,
thinning with alcohol will probably be necessary to obtain brushing
consistency. Be sure to have extra alcohol on hand for this.

This variation of the 1704 varnish I prefer for the varnishing
of new instruments. A small amount of mastic improves adherence
between coats, and the sandarac adds a bit of hardness.

45 grams seedlac

5 grams gum mastic

5 grams gum sandarac

200 ml. alcohol

5-7 ml. Lavender spike oil

Preparations are the same as for the 1704 recipe. The mastic
is a softener and improves adherence between coats. Sandarac
is a hardener, and gives a bit more gloss to the varnish. Less
Lavender oil makes the varnish a bit harder (compensated by
the mastic).

Why the 1704 'Variation'?

Through some research, trial
and error, I settled on this as my main varnish recipe. A little
less lavender oil makes it dry faster and harder. The sandarac
adds a bit more gloss and increases hardness. Mastic improves
adherence between coats and adds suppleness to the varnish, without
the permanent softness that the lavender oil tends to impart.

Clear Touch-up Varnish

Seedlac varnish can be somewhat
too dark for touching up very light instruments. In this case,
replace the seedlac with white shellac in the 1704 varnish. A
bit of Sandarac can give more gloss to the varnish.

The varnishes above will
vary, depending on the particular shipment of Seedlac. This can
range from a light yellow-gold, to an old-gold; from reddish to
green/brown (not really green, but a brown that lacks some red
pigment). At any rate, the 1704 varnish will usually be quite
light without the use of colors, which some may prefer.

I prefer to start with a yellow base and build the darker colors
on top. A varnish that does not have a good color base of yellow
tends to look incomplete regardless how much color is put over
the white wood.

I use Kamala, it gives a wonderful yellow base that appears
quite bright when applied but matures to a warm yellow.

Saffron (especially Spanish) also produces a fine yellow, though
I have not tried it yet in varnish.

Turmeric (curcuma) makes a nice yellow, but in my experience
is not light-fast.

Brown

I use Catechu. While not as transparent as some of the other
dyes, it is the only brown that I have found to be of sufficient
tinctoral strength to produce a dark brown varnish.

Red

I use Sandalwood. It varies with each shipment from a brown
red to an orange-red.

Pernambucco will yield a nice reddish stain when dissolved
in alcohol.

Dissolve any of the above
ingredients in alcohol; warming the jar in a water bath will facilitate
the process of extracting the dyes. This can be added to the varnish.
For this reason I like to keep my varnish on the thicker side,
as it will become thinner with the addition of the dyes.

Dyes can be added directly to the varnish, though straining may
be quite difficult, and must be done while the varnish is hot
and thin. This method works best with sandalwood chips rather
than the powdered stains, as the chips do not clog the filter
as the powder does.